Love From New York
by TVH Bookfan
Summary: In the early 1900s, Elizabeth Bennet, the hard-working daughter of Irish immigrants,and Mr.Darcy, a British heir, unexpectedly fall in love after some misunderstandings.
1. Chapter 1

**Year: 1900**

**Setting: Brooklyn, New York**

Elizabeth Bennet knew about a lot of things at the age of fifteen: she read a lot of books and observed all the latest inventions and even the ridiculous fashions of the wealthy women she saw walking around town. However, if all her plans were going to work out, she had to finish high school, which was her top priority right now. She couldn't listen to her mother and give up everything in order to marry the son of some landlord, and she especially didn't want to take her father's advice and just settle with factory work. They weren't in Ireland anymore. This was America, the land of opportunity. The poor didn't have to stay poor here and women didn't have to hope for a wealthy man to want to marry them by chance. The only people who liked her plan were her sisters, Jane and Mary, but everyone else thought it was impossible. But Elizabeth was determined to go to college and become a writer even if no one would support her.

And then she met , a British heir who was just making a visit in New York, and everything changed, both for the better and the worse.

**So far, do you think I should continue? Please review or follow if you like this so far. I don't know if I'll be able to update regularly, but I'll write more soon if I get enough feedback.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A big thank you to all who have reviewed and followed this story! So far, this has been the most feedback I have gotten for any fanfic I've written ( I've only been part of Fanfiction for about two months now). Here's chapter 2. I hope you all enjoy it. Happy holidays!**

A week before Christmas, a stagecoach was riding around the city. In it were seventeen-year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy, his fifteen-year-old sister, Georgiana, and his friends, Charles and Caroline Bingley.

"Why did we have to come to the states, Charles?" asked Caroline with a sigh. "It's so cold here, just like London is every winter. I would rather have gone to India for Christmas. Father is doing business there, so it would have been much more convenient for us."

"We agreed to meet up with some friends from Oxford for the opening of the Pemberly Theater in Brooklyn. You should love it, Caroline, since you go to the theater almost every Saturday back home," said Charles.

Mr. Darcy and Georgiana didn't say anything. Mr. Darcy was reading a report on modern science in the paper and Georgiana was reading a novel.

"How come you two are always so quiet? Fitzwilliam, you're always working on something for school, and Georgiana, you're just too shy. If you keep that up, you'll never find a husband and will end up as a lonely old maid like our poor aunt. Same with you, Fitzwilliam," Caroline said in a tone that made it obvious that she was mocking them.

Georgiana blushed. She never liked it when Caroline teased her. Her brother, however, glared at Caroline and said, "It's none of your business when either of us gets married, Caroline. Just because we don't spend every minute thinking about who will propose to us does not mean we'll never get married."

"Well, at least make an effort. Women here in the states don't seem to. They're always going about the suffrage and trying to go to college to do men's work. I see no purpose in all that nonsense. If a woman is rich and accomplished in the right things, then a good marriage should be the only thing she wants."

Mr. Darcy smiled at Georgiana as Caroline went on, making her give a little laugh, which made Caroline frown and say, "Fine. If you don't care about marriage, then that's your problem. Some advice for you, Fitzwilliam: never marry an American. They are just too stubborn."

"I'll marry whoever I want to," Mr. Darcy responded firmly, having no idea what would be in store for him in that trip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3. FYI: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's names are James and Louisa and they are both factory workers. Jane's sixteen, Mary's thirteen, and Kitty and Lydia are eleven-year-old twins.**

"James!" Mrs. Bennet called out eagerly to her husband. "We got invited to the opening of the Pemberly Theater! There are going to be many students from Oxford there who will be around Jane and Lizzy's age. Just imagine how lovely it would be if they would get engaged to one of them!"

"Louisa, I wish you good luck in this. If any wealthy British man is willing to marry some young girl from Brooklyn, then that would truly be a miracle," responded Mr. Bennet, who was simply happy that his family had never gone hungry and that he was able to afford a few books to have something to keep his mind off his wife's crazy ideas.

"Hello mama! Hello papa!" cried out their five daughters, who had all returned home from school at the same time. Kitty and Lydia both hugged their mother, while Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary all turned to their father. Of course, it didn't take long for to make the same announcement to her daughters. Lydia was the first to respond, as she said with a squeal:

"May I please go, mama? I'll do extra chores for a month and get all As in my schoolwork if you let me go!"

"I'm sorry dear, but you're too young to go." Mrs. Bennet said this regretfully on account of how even though Lydia was the youngest, she was her favorite daughter because she was the most beautiful, and therefore(according to her), the most likely to marry well.

"Only Jane and Elizabeth can go, which is good enough for now, since they are almost old enough for marriage."

"Mama, it is no longer the nineteenth century. Times are changing and so are women and marriages. I'd rather wait until I've completed my education," said Elizabeth.

"My dear Lizzy, just where do you get these ideas? If you don't marry well, you'll end up like me, working in some dirty old factory for seven or eight hours everyday. Next thing you know, you'll be part of some worker's union and will get yourself in prison. Listen to me, not to some old maid of a schoolteacher."

There was no use talking to her mother about these things. Mrs. Bennet was convinced that she had the whole world figured out, that the future stability of the family depended on who her daughters married. However, Elizabeth couldn't object to attending the theater. She liked those kind of things, as did Jane, who got the lead role in all the high school plays and whose biggest desire was to be an actress.

"We must go, Lizzy! Who knows if they'll want to hire actresses for the shows? I just might be able to get started on a true acting career," Jane said excitedly to Elizabeth.

"Of course we'll go, Jane," she responded. As long as she was with Jane, everything would go well. But if she had to be alone there with all the men and other strangers, she wouldn't be able to stand it, especially if they were British. Everyone knew that they were some of the most prim and proper people in the world. They also hated the Irish, so despite their mother's wishes, no British man would ever want to be with them.

"Oh girls, it'll be so wonderful. It'll be on New Years Eve, so just think about what a happy new year we'll be having," their mother said happily.

Mr. Bennet laughed and said, "Just have fun, girls." And that was all Jane and Elizabeth really planned to do. Proposals were the last thing on their minds.


	4. Chapter 4

**A happy new year to you all :)**

On the day the Pemberly Theater opened up, everyone showed up: Oxford students, visitors from many different countries, business owners, actors, merchants, factory workers, and young people like Jane and Elizabeth who were just looking for fun on New Year's Eve.

To Elizabeth's luck, her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, was there along with her brother. They were having a conversation with a wealthy French woman when Jane and Elizabeth showed up.

"Elizabeth! Jane! How lovely it is to see you both here!" Charlotte exclaimed. The French woman said in broken English that American girls were some of the kindest foreigners she had ever met and offered to have the two girls sit next to her along with Charlotte and her brother.

"Everything's so wonderful here, Lizzy. In half an hour, they're going to have a production on _Romeo and Juliet_, which is suppose to last until midnight. Some people say that they're going to be staying here all night long."

Elizabeth and Charlotte were about as different as night and day. Charlotte came from a strict Jewish family, and for the most part, she was very obedient until she left the house, and then she was a free-spirit without a care in the world. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had an easy-going Catholic family, but she rebelled more at home then when she went out simply because she actually wanted a life with more order, which was what Charlotte dreaded. Charlotte's parents didn't care if their children had wealthy spouses, just as long as they followed the Jewish faith and lived suitable lifestyles, while Mrs. Bennet's only expectation for her future sons-in-law was wealth. But somehow, despite their differences, the two families got along surprisingly well, which was how the two girls knew each other so well.

Jane wasn't with them for long. A Russian actor started talking to her about the play, and she immediately joined him and his parents, who didn't speak a word of English and were just drinking vodka and talking, supposedly criticizing the quality of American theater. The French woman laughed and said, "Russians never are polite. They always say St. Petersburg's better then Paris. At least we don't have a king in France. Make sure you keep your sister from marrying that man, dear, else you'll have no good brother-in-law."

As she went on with her jibberish, Charlotte's older brother, Robert, said, "Look! There's Fitzwilliam Darcy. Father says his family owns one of the most successful factories in England."

"Oh Lizzy! If your mother were here, she'd go crazy!" Charlotte said. Then she did something unbelievable: she walked right up to Fitzwilliam Darcy and said, "Good evening, Mr. Darcy. My friend here thinks she's never heard of a more charming young man then you. She wants you to have a small conversation with her, even if just for a minute."

"Charlotte!" Elizabeth exclaimed in shock. The last thing she wanted was to have to talk to a wealthy young British man.

"Is that girl over there your friend?" Mr. Darcy turned his gaze at Elizabeth, who got even more embarrassed when he noticed her.

"Yes!" Charlotte said way too eagerly.

"Tell her that I can't waste my time with some foolish American girl. I am of high status, so I can't just talk with anyone."

Mr. Darcy didn't mean to sound rude. He was just frustrated with having too much people wanting to see him at the same time. However, when he saw the satisfied smirk on Caroline's face and how uneasy everyone else, including Elizabeth, looked, he knew he had done something. But instead of trying to make things right, he said, "Let's go sit down," to his companions and got away as quickly as he could. At that moment, he just wished he could get away from everyone.

Charles, however, noticed Jane and said, "I'm sorry about what Fitzwilliam said about your sister. He's just been having a bad day."

"How do you know that I'm her sister?" Jane asked.

"You two look so much alike. Would you rather sit with me? We don't have to be with them."

"I'd love to," Jane said, happy to be getting away from the crabby Russian couple, even though the man she'd been talking to looked slightly disappointed as she took off.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was completely mortified. "How dare he say such things? He dosen't even know me, and I doubt he really knows any American girls. I don't care what my mother would think about him. There's no way in the world I would want to marry someone like that, even if he had all the money in the world."

"Well Elizabeth, I think men like that aren't worth it. Sometimes I think that couples never truly love each other until after they've been married long enough. Avoid wealthy men if you can, but don't ever expect true love until after marriage. That's something my mother always says," Charlotte said, offering what she always thought was good advice, even though Elizabeth didn't always agree with it.

The French woman looked about as angry as Elizabeth. "That's no way to treat a young lady like you. Don't ever take a British man's hand, my dear. They're just as bad, if not worse, then Russians. I'm sure there are many more nicer men here in New York." For once, Elizabeth agreed with what this woman was saying.

Meanwhile, Georgiana asked her brother, "What did you really think about that girl everyone thought you were insulting?"

Mr. Darcy thought for a while. "She had rather nice eyes," was all he said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's chapter 5. Since finals are in a week, I'll be updating less regularly, but I'll try to write as often as possible. I hope you all continue to read this as well as check out some of the other stories on my profile.**

Before they all knew it, it was 1901. The show came to an end as soon as it was midnight. Despite all the happiness shown by their companions, Elizabeth and couldn't stop thinking about each other; Elizabeth because he had been so rude to her and Mr. Darcy because he hadn't thought about how what he said would have effected her so much. Of course, both of them acted cheerful around their companions and wished them all a happy new year, but on the inside, they didn't really feel much like celebrating.

When Elizabeth and Jane went home with the Lucases, they noticed that both of their families were there. Mr. Bennet and Mr. Lucas (who were both alike in some ways) were reading in a quiet corner of the sitting room. Also in the corner were Mary, who enjoyed studying, and Henry, Charlotte's fourteen-year-old brother, who dedicated his time to studying the Torah in the hopes of fulfilling his parents' wishes of having a son that became a rabbi. Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Lucas were drinking coffee and having a conversation while the younger children played with each other.

"Hello, my dear girls! Happy new year!" exclaimed Mrs. Bennet as she put her arms around the three girls. Mrs. Lucas, who rarely ever got that excited, simply hugged her daughter and shook hands with Jane and Elizabeth.

"So Anna, as I was saying, you really should allow Charlotte to go to more events like this. She's your only daughter, so you should be hoping that she marries well. She may not be as beautiful as other girls, but she's good-natured, which should be enough for a man."

" Louisa, I've always thought that your plans for your daughters' marriages seem unrealistic. For the girls to really be happily married, they should look for a man who shares the same faith and values that they do. As respectable as I find your family, I couldn't let one of my sons marry your daughters because everyone knows that a marriage between a Jew and a Christian isn't very enriching as result of not being able to bond spiritually. Would you really be happy if they'd marry a Jew or Protestant or, God forbid, a man with no faith at all? And what if Elizabeth or Jane married a bad- tempered or rude man? A marriage like that would be terrible."

"Well, I think you can be old-fashioned sometimes. Our neighbor, who's a good Catholic, married a Lutheran man, and they're one of the happiest couples I've ever seen. As for personality, of course Lizzy and Jane would never marry someone who's bad. However, opposites do attract. Look at James and me."

"Yes indeed," Mrs. Lucas said a little skeptically. Jane and Elizabeth exchanged glances. They couldn't really say that their parents were happily married. The only times they really talked was to greet each other or when faced with problems, which was why they wanted to make their own decisions regarding marriage.

"Well, this has been an interesting night, hasn't it, Fitzwilliam?" said Caroline when the majority of people had left the theater.

"Just leave me alone," Mr. Darcy responded.

"There's nothing wrong with what you said about that girl. As I already said, American girls are some of the worse kind around."

"I met the girl's sister, and she seemed to be all right. This is all just a big misunderstanding," Charles said with a smile.

"Oh Charles, you don't know what you're talking about," Caroline said with a laugh. She and Charles started heading off for the hotel.

"You know what, Georgiana? Maybe we should have gone to India instead," said Mr. Darcy said when they were gone.

"We could probably go in the spring. They say that's one of the best times to go there."

"I agree. But we're going alone. After this last trip, I don't want to have to deal with Caroline and her marriage talks. I'd ask Charles to go, but he'd refuse to go without bringing his sister along."

"Kind of like how you are with me, right?" Georgiana asked sweetly.

"Of course," Mr. Darcy smiled at his sister. This was how he liked it, when he could just be alone with his sister without having to think of girls, proposals, or even his studies.

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy would not see each other again for three years.


	6. Chapter 6

**It took a while, but here's the next chapter!**

The next three years were hard for both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth managed to finish high school, but could not continue on to college because she couldn't obtain any money, so she found work wherever she could: at sweatshops, offices, and factories in the hopes of being able to save for college. Jane was a little more lucky than her sister at getting what she wanted. The Pemberly Theater hired her part time as an extra. She didn't get paid much, and often had to work along with Elizabeth to make extra money, but she was happy with what she did, as was their mother, who hoped that Jane would get to know a successful actor and eventually get married. Their father never said anything about his hopes for his daughters, but he felt confident that his three oldest daughters would find some kind of success. As for Kitty and Lydia, he feared that they would end up becoming like their mother, since neither of them were good at schoolwork and were often lazy at home (especially Lydia, who was always getting punished by her teachers for talking too much). However, he never interfered with neither them nor his wife, since he felt that this would only make things worse.

In some ways, Mr. Darcy's situation was even worse. In 1901, while he went on the planned trip to India with Georgiana, their father died from a severe illness. It was discovered that he'd left very little money for them, and although his son inherited both his factories and property, the money they had wasn't enough to keep all this and Mr. Darcy had not yet all the training he needed in order to run the company. As a result, an uncle began to run the factories with the little resources available, and Mr. Darcy had to drop out of Oxford in order to help him out. As for Georgiana, she had to leave the finishing school she used to attend and got a job as a secretary for a friend of their fathers' named Mr. Wickham, which lead to a lot of trouble. Mr. Wickham believed that the Darcys were only pretending to have lost their fortune, and that Fitzwilliam had send his sister to work for him as an attempt to get her married to him. One day, he proposed to Georgiana and told her all his assumptions. Georgiana refused, so Mr. Wickham locked her in a room and threatened to steal from the family and hurt her if she didn't accept the proposal. However, nothing happened because having been worried about why his sister didn't come home, Mr. Darcy went there and managed to get his sister away. He reported Mr. Wickham to the police, but no criminal charges were made because Mr. Wickham convinced the police that it was all a misunderstanding. Believing that Georgiana could no longer be safe in London, Mr. Darcy sent her to Brooklyn, where Charles Bingley had started to do business with the Pemberly Theater. This was in 1904, the year in which Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy would have their next encounter.


	7. Chapter 7

Nights were always wonderful in the theater. Everywhere Elizabeth and Jane turned, people were always speaking to family and friends while preparing themselves to be taken into another world. According to some of the actors at the Pemberly Theater, the theater business was going to go down soon on account of the invention of 'moving pictures', which were expected to increase in popularity by the end of the decade and would require actors. But Jane never thought much about this. "People have been going to theaters since ancient times, Lizzy. It can't all change because of some strange new invention. If people just want to stare at pictures, they can go to an art museum."

As they were speaking, Jane noticed a young man who looked really familiar. Everything from his dark hair to the way he smiled reminded her of someone she'd met long ago. When he introduced himself as Charles Bingley, it all came back to her. "I believe we have met before, Mr. Bingley. I'm Jane Bennet and I work here now as an extra."

Mr. Bingley now looked at her as if he just seen her. "Why, of course! We sat together during the very first show. There's no way I could forget such a beautiful and polite girl like you. It's no surprise to me that you're an actress now."

Jane laughed. "I wouldn't call myself a true actress yet, but in a couple of years, I just might become famous. I'm in the show tonight, so don't expect me to sit with you. Just admire me from the audience."

Elizabeth sat down with Mary, who was now old enough to attend the theater. She didn't talk much, except to bring up remarks about the upcoming show. But when she heard Mr. Bingley introducing himself to Jane again, she said, "Lizzy, I believe you once mentioned that man in a really negative way three years ago."

"It wasn't him that I was referring to, Mary. It was his friend who was really rude to me."

"He might be here if his friend is."

Elizabeth shook her head. She didn't even want to consider this possibility. If Fitzwilliam Darcy was here, it would ruin the whole night for her.

Then, a young woman who looked around Elizabeth's age came up to them and asked shyly, "Would you two mind if I sat here?"

"Of course not," answered Elizabeth, making room for her to sit down. The three sat in silence until the young woman asked, "Is that your sister over there, talking to Mr. Bingley?"

"Yes. They met here three years ago when the theater opened."

"My brother and I were with him and his sister when it opened. Such a coincidence that they're reuniting once again in the same place."

This got Elizabeth's attention. "What's your name?"

"Georgiana Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy is my brother."

At that moment, Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy approaching her. It had been years, but neither of them had forgotten about each other. Everything from their striking features to the way they talked still stood out. And yet, neither of them had any desire to see each other again. But this did not stop Mr. Darcy from doing what he was about to do.

"Elizabeth Bennet, I'd like to speak with you alone right now."


	8. Chapter 8

Elizabeth had no choice but to do as he said. They walked away from all the people waiting to see the show into the almost completely empty lobby. As soon as he was sure that they were alone, Mr. Darcy said:

"Elizabeth, I know we barely know each other and that our first meeting went badly, but I feel as if you're the only person who will understand my problems."

Elizabeth glared at him. "What kind of problems could you possibly have, Mr. Darcy? You're one of the wealthiest men in England."

"I was one of the wealthiest men in England, but it's all changed now. My father died three years ago and left very little for my sister and me. The factory business is in debt, and my uncle and I are doing all we can to keep it from failing. I had to drop out of Oxford because of that. If you could just see everything I've been though, you'd think very differently of me."

"Just because you're not a rich man anymore dose not mean your personality has changed. If you want my respect, you have to earn it, not just expect to get it through feelings of pity."

"I see that, Elizabeth. So I'd like to do you a favor."

"What would that be?"

He handed her an envelope. When she opened it, she found a hundred dollars inside. For a moment, she was so shocked that she didn't say a word. Then, she grinned at Mr. Darcy and said, "Mr. Darcy, are you that stupid to believe that by giving me money, I'll want to help you out? Well, I hope you have better luck with some other girl, because I have nothing to give, and even if I did, you'd be the last person I'd give anything to."

"Please take it. Accept it as a token of friendship between us. If you don't want to do it for me, then do it for my sister. She's been through a lot, so she could really use a companion right now."

"How can I be sure that it's just friendship you want? I do not come from a family of beggers; we work for every penny we earn, but there's no way we could afford to help out a former British millionaire. And if I can remember clearly, you don't like American girls. Why not seek the help of some wealthy French or German girl? I'm sure you'd like them a lot more then me."

Mr. Darcy shook his head. There was no way he'd be able to convince Elizabeth to be with him. He could only think of one other way.

"My sister Georgiana will be staying in Brooklyn for a couple of months. If you don't want to be with me, then at least come visit her. She would really appreciate it.

Elizabeth remembered seeing her just a while ago. There seemed to be nothing arrogant about Georgiana. She just seemed like a shy, respectful girl. Spending time with her wouldn't be so bad, as long as she didn't have to deal with Darcy himself.

"I'll do it, but don't think that means you can use me to get you out of your situation. And don't bother any of my sisters either, because they have better things to do other than having to deal with an arrogant former millionaire."

She turned around and started heading back to the show, when Mr. Darcy said, "Wait, Elizabeth! Are you going to take the money?"

"Keep it for yourself. Money seems to be the only thing that can satisfy people like you." She then took off without another word.


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been a while since I last updated, since we lost our internet service at home and I can only use the computer at the library now. However, I'll try updating whenever I can, so keep on reading!**

In the months that followed, Elizabeth and Georgiana became good friends. Every Saturday, they'd meet up at either one of their homes and spend the day together. Sometimes, they went to the Pemberly Theater with Jane and Mary, but usually they preferred to be alone, going to department stores in Manhattan or local restaurants. As Elizabeth had thought, Georgiana turned out being very polite and kind, with not a trace of the arrogance she saw in her brother. Georgiana thought the same of Elizabeth, although her outspokenness took some getting use to. They confided in each other over many things, including their hopes and fears for the future. Elizabeth told her about how she worried that no matter how much she worked, she might never be able to go to college, and Georgiana told Elizabeth about leaving finishing school and the incident with Mr. Wickham, which Elizabeth found shocking. However, they avoided talking about Mr. Darcy as often as possible, since both seemed to understand the other's feelings about and didn't want to cause any tension that could ruin their friendship.

Jane stated getting very close to Mr. Bingley, who stated attending all of her shows. When work was over, no matter how late it was, he always took her out for a meal. Bingley would complement her on everything, from her acting abilities to her beauty, and Jane always had charming things to say about him. However, little did they know how much Mr. Darcy was monitoring them. He'd notice how they got too comfortable with each other, despite their differences. Then there was the issue of Jane's family. Once, Mr. Darcy followed them all the way to her home and noticed how silly her family was. Every thing from Mrs. Bennet's obsession with good marriages, to Mr. Bennet's carelessness, to Lydia and Kitty's carefree ways around their parents made him think that Jane could never be a suitable wife for Bingley. This also made him have doubts about Elizabeth. Perhaps it was better if they stayed away from each other. However, the day she rejected his friendship actually made him like her more. No girl in England was ever that open with him. He thought about her every day, but still made every effort he could to stay away from her. It would have been very foolish to propose to her when he barely knew her.

However, an event involving Lydia would force them to have a confrontation that would change everything.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter. It will probably shock you!**

As Lydia and Kitty were stepping out of the high school building, they saw an automobile parked nearby. This excited them, since they didn't know anyone rich enough to own such a luxurious item.

"Who could it be?" asked Kitty eagerly.

"I'm going to find out. It must a rich man, and I'm not letting any rich man in Brooklyn get away without meeting me first," said Lydia. Without thinking about the consequences, she started approaching the automobile.

"Hello there, handsome. What's the matter? Afraid of exposing yourself to a pretty lady like me?" she said in a mocking tone.

"I'm not afraid of pretty girls. As a matter of fact, I think I'm too good at getting them." The man spoke in a British accent, which only made Lydia even more excited. "So, you're a foreigner? You must be even richer then the richest American! Please get out of the automobile. I have to see your lovely face!"

A tall, dark- haired man stepped out. From the moment they saw him, Kitty and Lydia started giggling like the silly schoolgirls they were. The man took off his hat, bowed, and said, "My name is George Wickham, and it is a pleasure to meet you lovely young ladies.

Lydia and Kitty both curtsied. "I'm Katherine Bennet," said Kitty. "And I'm her twin sister, Lydia," said Lydia in the fanciest voice she could manage.

"Which of you ladies was the one speaking to me?"

"It was me, my dear Mr. Wickham. I have the most experience with foreigners in my family, even though I'm the youngest," said Lydia, still trying to sound sophisticated.

"How old are you, exactly?"

"Sixteen," she lied.

"Shouldn't a lovely girl like you be traveling with a handsome, accomplished man instead of attending school?"

"Of course, but my parents think I should be getting an education."

"I don't think that's necessary for someone like you. Do you speak any of the modern languages?"

"Yes. I know quite a lot of French." (She had only been studying it at school for two months.)

"Can you play an instrument or sing?"

"I sing all the time at mass, and we have a lovely piano at home that we all enjoy playing." (Only Elizabeth and Mary could actually play the piano, and people were always telling Lydia to be quiet whenever she started singing.)

"It seems to me that you're very accomplished. Would you like to join me tonight?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Lydia happily. Kitty started saying things to Lydia about not doing something so thoughtless, but Lydia responded by saying, "Don't you say anything to mama or papa." Before Kitty could stop her, Lydia got into the automobile, and she and Mr. Wickham quickly became out of sight.


	11. Chapter 11

Not long after they left, however, Elizabeth and Jane found out about the whole incident. Unknown to Lydia and Kitty, Mary had seen what happened. She hadn't done anything at first because she didn't believe Lydia could be capable of something so foolish. But then, as soon as she saw Lydia stepping into the automobile, she ran to the Pemberley Theater, where the two sisters were preparing for an upcoming show with Charles Bingley.

"Jane! Lizzy! Something happened to Lydia!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw them.

Elizabeth and Jane exchanged worried glances. Lydia was always getting herself into trouble, but from the way Mary came in there, it seemed that something serious happened this time.

"What did she do?" asked Jane.

"She and Kitty were talking to some man in an automobile. The man kept saying things that seemed to excite Lydia, and then she got into the automobile and they left."

"Oh, no! That foolish girl! Why would she do something like this? She's fourteen and should know better than this," said Elizabeth.

"Do you have any idea who the man might have been?" Bingley asked Mary.

"He sounded British, and seemed wealthy from the things he was telling Lydia, but I have no idea who he really was. I think he said his name once, but I couldn't hear it well."

For a moment, Elizabeth wondered if it might have been Mr. Darcy, seeking revenge for rejecting him by taking her sister away. She hadn't seen him for two months. It could have taken him that long to plan this out. But what would he have been doing with an automobile, since he made it clear that he had little money left?

"Charles, we must do something! Who knows what this man might be doing to Lydia?" Jane said, looking very worried.

"We must inform your parents and the police first. Then we could form a search party when we have enough people to investigate," said Mr. Bingley.

For a while, the sisters just sat there as Mr. Bingley made calls. Then, an hour later, they got a call that made them all even more informed.

"Jane, this woman says she's your aunt," said Bingley, handing the phone to her.

It was their aunt, Fanny Gardner. She and her husband ran in a small shop in another part of Brooklyn. Although economically, they were just like the Bennets, they had a few connections with wealthy people that allowed them to own things like telephones. The sisters loved visiting them whenever they could.

"Aunt Fanny, do you know about what happened to Lydia?"

"My dear Jane, you'll be happy to know that Lydia is right here with us. She told us that a young British friend of yours offered her a ride home. He seems very good-natured and polite , although I don't think it was right of him to take her with him without informing her parents or you girls first. However, we allowed them to spend the afternoon here, so don't worry about her."

"What's the name of this man?"

"George Wickham. Don't you know him?"

"No. I've never heard of him before."

"That's unusual. I'll speak to Lydia about this. Goodbye, my dear, and tell Lizzy not to worry too much about her."

Jane turned to Elizabeth and Bingley and said, "She said that Lydia's with them. The man's name is George Wickham."

At the sound of this name, Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley looked horrified. "That man is nothing but trouble. We must keep Lydia away from him," said Mr. Bingley.

"Why?"

"He once tried to forced Mr. Darcy's sister to marry him because he wanted to obtain their fortune, even though they lost it," said Elizabeth.

This information started worrying Jane. "Then we must do something."

To do this, said Mr. Bingley, would involve having to find Mr. Darcy, the last thing Elizabeth wanted.


	12. Chapter 12

Not far, there was an old inn where visitors of Brooklyn could stay at low costs. The conditions there were not bad, but it was not in any way luxurious. It was the last place in the world where Fitzwilliam Darcy would have wanted to stay, but he didn't want to spend too much time with Bingley, since he didn't want to tell him about his true feelings regarding his relationship with Jane Bennet.

So when he found Elizabeth Bennet entering the inn, he didn't know what to do. At first, he expected to see her accompanied by his sister, but Georgiana was nowhere within sight. Then he wondered if she had come to give him a second chance. This gave him the confidence to go up to her and say, "Good afternoon, Miss Bennet. It's a surprise to see you here."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy. I came to inform you on a very unfortunate matter."

"What happened? Does it involve Georgiana?" He could not afford to deal with another incident like the one that happened in England, as if losing his fortune wasn't bad enough.

"No. It involves my sister, Lydia. "

Mr. Darcy remembered seeing Lydia the night he followed Bingley to the Bennet's home. He could tell that she was a foolish girl from everything she did. She talked too much, always wanted things her own way, and worse of all, she was very spoiled by her mother. He could not understand why Mrs. Bennet would allow any of her children to become like that, especially since her oldest daughters turned out being the complete opposite of Lydia.

"What did she do that should be a concern to me?"

"She went off with this man whom I've heard had caused you a lot of problems in England, by the name of George Wickham."

At the sound of his name, Mr. Darcy gasped. "How could he do this again? How could your sister be so foolish enough to fall for his tricks? If there's any reason why he's here, it's certainly to ruin me. We must do something, Elizabeth, before he can go any further in whatever plans he has."

"She's currently with him at my aunt and uncle's home. They know nothing about what he's really like, so if we need to do anything to get Lydia out of this, we must do it now."

Within two minutes, they left the inn. Although Mr. Darcy panicked about what might be Wickham's intentions, he was glad to finally be with Elizabeth again, even if it was under such a bad situation as this.


	13. Chapter 13

Within ten minutes, they were all at Mrs. Gardner's home. Mr. Gardner and John, their eleven-year-old son, were the ones who greeted them and invited them to their small sitting room, where their live-in housekeeper, Isabella, served them tea.

Mrs. Gardner was a slightly plump woman of average height who didn't have the beautiful appearance of her nieces. However, she made up for this by being very intelligent and resourceful. She was unlike her younger sister, Louisa, in every way. While Louisa had only finished the sixth grade and married at seventeen, Fanny Gardner managed to complete two years of high school before she started working and didn't marry until she was twenty-two. By that time, she had some money saved up, and with her husband's savings, they were able to open a small store and worked together to run it. John was able to attend a religious school with the help of a wealthy friend, and their eight-year-old daughter, Helen, attended one of the more progressive public schools. When Jane and Elizabeth were young, instead of sending them to the public school, Mr. Bennet send them to their aunt Gardner, who taught them how to read, write, do math, and tried teaching them how to play the piano( Jane couldn't do this, but Elizabeth did). By the time they attended public school, not only were they placed at the appropriate grade level, but also did better academically than some of their classmates.

"My dear girls! It's been such a long time since we've last seen you," Mrs. Gardner said when she saw Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary arriving. When she saw Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arriving, she said, "Isn't that Fitzwilliam Darcy, one of the wealthiest heirs in England?"

"Good day, Mrs. Gardner. You must have not heard that I lost my fortune after my father died. The company is now struggling, which is part of the reason why I'm here in the states."

"Aunt Fanny, where is Lydia?" asked Elizabeth, in a panic.

"They're in our bedroom, dear. There's no reason to be so worried."

However, when Mrs. Gardner opened the bedroom door, there was nobody there. However, the window was open, clearly indicating that they had escaped.

"That girl has gotten away, Lizzy! I should have never left them alone. Sometimes I'm just like your mother when it comes to men."

"Don't blame yourself, Aunt Fanny. You know how much trouble Lydia's always getting herself into."

"I know, Lizzy, but sometimes I wish I had educated her and Kitty the way I did for you and Jane. Mary turned out all right without me, but she's just too much like me by nature. Kitty and Lydia got too much of your mother's worse qualities. I use to always tell myself that with older sisters like you and Jane, they would turn out well, but I turned out being wrong."

"This is not the time to think about this, Aunt Fanny. We must tell Mr. Darcy and the others."

Since no one else knew about what Lydia had done, they had all gotten themselves comfortable. Mary was playing the piano, Mr. Gardner was reading the paper, and Mr. Bingley and Jane were going over a scene from_ Hamlet_ with John and Helen. Mr. Darcy just there, carefully observing the action of the Bennet sisters.

This all changed when Mrs. Gardner and Elizabeth made their announcement. Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bingley left to start a search party, Jane and Mary went home to tell their parents, and Mrs. Gardner left to run the store. Mr. Darcy decided to stay, and for a long time, he was alone with only Elizabeth and the children as company.


	14. Chapter 14

For a while, nothing went on. Elizabeth started writing in a small book she always brought along with her, Mr. Darcy read a newspaper that was left behind on a table, and the children remained silent, guessing there was some sort of tension between the two young people.

Then, Mr. Darcy went up to Elizabeth and said, "What is it that you enjoy writing so much?"

"Mainly poetry, but when I have time, I work on stories that I usually never finish," Elizabeth responded, surprised with herself for admitting her love of writing to this man whom she usually despised.

"Do you read a lot of literature as well?"

"Of course I do, especially the works of the Brontes, Dickens, and Hardy. Do you read a lot yourself, or is it something you find a waste of time to do?"

"I don't have much use for novel reading, but Georgiana reads them a lot. Personally, I prefer reading biographies, newspapers, and occasionally some Greek mythology. However, I do believe that women who read widely are very well accomplished."

"Is that all you think it takes for a woman to be considered accomplished?"

"Of course not. In addition, a woman should have a good knowledge of art, music, history, and modern languages."

"Would you consider it proper for a woman to have a job and obtain the right to vote?"

"If she's capable of it and it won't interfere with raising a family properly, then yes, she can obtain work. As for voting, I've heard many arguments for and against this in Britain, but I prefer to stay neutral in this issue."

"And why is that?"

"Elizabeth Bennet, you are asking too much questions. If you really want to know, I have very little interest involving those of the opposite sex, that is, except for you."

"Fitzwilliam Darcy, what did you just say?" Elizabeth said in shock.

Mr. Darcy blushed, not realizing until now what he had just admitted. "Never mind. I was just saying things."

"Is it true love, or are you still hoping to receive help from my family?"

"I don't know. It's all so complicated…"

At that moment, he could bear it no longer. He got closer to where Elizabeth was sitting, and without saying anything, kissed her right in the cheek.

For a moment, Elizabeth was speechless. What could a woman do in a situation like this? Hit the man? Tell him that she wasn't interested? Or was it possible that after all these years, she had misjudged him due to a bad first impression?

"Elizabeth Bennet, I cannot see myself happy with any woman in the world except for you," said Mr. Darcy after a long silence.

Elizabeth said the only thing she could think of:

"Mr. Darcy, why is it so hard to love you, but just as impossible to hate you?"

Forgetting everything that happened with Lydia and Mr. Wickham, the two kissed once again. And even though the children sat there whispering and giggling and the phone kept ringing, it felt as if they were the only two people on Earth.

**I'm close to finishing this story, but I have started a new one called "Love, Sisterhood, and Showbiz" based on _Sense and__ Sensibility. _I hope you all decide to read it.**


	15. Chapter 15

Back at home, Jane and Mary explained what happened to Lydia. When first hearing the news, Mrs. Bennet burst into tears and kept saying how a terrible mother she was and her fears of what could possibly happen to her most beloved daughter. To her husband, she begged, "Please don't get back at the man. God knows what he might be capable of." Mr. Bennet, however was surprisingly calm. When his daughters asked why, he simply said, "Lydia is fourteen. It's about time we should just let her make her own mistakes and learn the consequences of her own actions.

On the third day of the search, a letter came from Lydia. It went like this:

My dear family,

I know you must be very worried about me, and I'm sorry for any trouble I've put you through. However, I have wonderful news: George Wickham and I got married at City Hall! I just know how happy mama will be to have her youngest daughter become the first one to get married! We do not plan to marry through the church, in case you all think I'd be foolish enough to that at such a young age. However, it will be a while before you all see me again, since George and I will be leaving for London tomorrow. He promises that it will all be very lovely, and when I introduce him, I believe you'll all understand why I have chosen him as a husband.

Love,

Lydia

"She's married! Oh, James, this is wonderful! George Wickham must be a man of fortune. I always knew Lydia would marry well! She's so beautiful and charming that any rich man would not be able to resist her!"

"I guess we now have one less daughter to care for, Louisa" was all that Mr. Bennet said.

Mr. Bingley led Jane to a room where they would not be able to be seen.

"Charles, what are we going to do? Lydia knows nothing about being a good wife, and I don't think Mr. Wickham is actually a man of fortune. Divorce is expensive, so if it won't work out..."

"Let's not think about them right now. Let's think about us."

"What are you trying to say?"

All of a sudden, she saw Mr. Bingley take out a diamond ring and place it in her finger.

"You can't be serious..."

"Jane Bennet, will you marry me?"


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm now at the next to last chapter of this story. Thank you to all who have reviewed, followed, and favored it. Coming soon will be another P&P story, and although I won't give much away, I'll tell you that it will be set in the 1980s. I hope you enjoy the conclusion.**

"Charles, why do you have to do this now?" asked Jane in a lot of distress.

"But Jane, don't you want to be with me?" said Mr. Bingley, thinking that this was a possible rejection.

"I do, but this is not the time. My sister has just gotten married at a young age to a possible criminal and you think that I'd want to marry you at this time? I can't, Charles. This is all just too much for me."

"All right, if you insist. But do you still want to be with me?"

"Of course I do."

Back at the Gardner's, Elizabeth and Darcy were now joined by Fanny Gardner and Georgiana, who came as soon as she heard what had happened to Lydia. The subject of Elizabeth and Darcy's new found love for each was put on hold for a while, although both Fanny and Georgiana had witnessed their little moment of bliss together and were momentarily excited about it.

"Did any of you already know that Wickham was in Brooklyn," Georgiana asked anxiously.

"No. It came as a complete surprise to us all," said Elizabeth.

All of a sudden, the telephone rang. Elizabeth answered it, and was surprised to hear Lydia's voice.

"Lydia! What were you thinking! Fourteen years old and married!" (They were already informed of this three hours ago by Mr. Bennet.)

"It's all right, Lizzy. According to City Hall, I'm sixteen," she responded carelessly.

"You lied about you age? Don't you know that you could get arrested for that?"

"I'm tall for my age and look fully developed. There's no way they could ever find out that I'm only fourteen."

"Think about this. You barely know George Wickham and already you've decided to spend the rest of you life with him. Have you considered the fact that he might have no money? That he tried to do the same thing to Georgiana Darcy and tried to hurt her when she rejected him? And if you decide to leave him, it would be nearly impossible for you to get a divorce?"

"Elizabeth, what makes you think I would leave him. He's a rich, charming man who would never think of hurting anyone. We're going to London first tomorrow, whether you like it or not. Goodbye." She then hung up.

"Mr. Darcy, do you think there's anything you could do to stop this? She seems to think Wickham would give her anything she wants."

"If you want, I could save up some money and help pay for a divorce, but it would take nearly a year," responded uneasily.

"More than a year, perhaps," said Mrs. Gardner.

"What I could do would be sent them some money to help them get by for a couple of months."

"But Fitzwilliam, we have almost nothing now," said Georgiana.

"Georgiana, I have money saved up. If I can help Elizabeth's family in any way, I'm more than willing to do this," answered Mr. Darcy.

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I can't believe I ever misjudged you."

"You never really misjudged me, Elizabeth. Back when I was wealthy, I didn't want to get involved with anyone other than my family and closest friends. Our mother died when I was eight, and I believe that's part of the reason why I became like that. I didn't trust people, so I stayed alone as often as possible. But after all that's happened in the last couple of years, I realized that I couldn't continue living this way. If I do, I'll truly end up being a failure."

Elizabeth was dumbstruck. She couldn't believe it. All her life, she thought she was good at understanding people, but she was wrong all along. In reality, it was all prejudice. She had been too quick to judge the only man who loved her, and it almost cost her.

Thankfully, it was the usually shy Georgiana who broke the akward silence. "Are you two already planning to get married?"

"Of course not, Georgiana. We have very little money, and we have to settle the whole matter of Lydia's marriage."

"Mr. Darcy, I believe you said you never finished your education at Oxford. Wouldn't you want to do that before considering marrying Lizzy?" asked Mrs. Gardner.

"And Lizzy always said she wanted to continue studying. Shouldn't that be considered as well?" asked Mr. Gardner, who just walked in.

"And where would you live, in London or New York?" asked Georgiana.

"Enough with all these questions. Let's just say that our future is full of possiblities," said Elizabeth in response to all these questions.

"Yes. If we wanted to do it all now, we'd end up like Lydia and Wickham," said Mr. Darcy, who barely ever showed humor.

They all laughed. At that moment, anything seemed possible for the two lovers.


	17. Chapter 17

**And now, what you've all been waiting for, the final chapter! Once again, thank you to everyone who supported this story. I wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you. Coming soon will be "All's Fair in Love and Showbusiness", another P & P story. Although I can't promise it right now, I'm planning on possibly writing a sequel to this story, which I might describe in future stories when I get more ideas. I look forward to writing again :)**

It took two more years of struggles, but in 1906, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy finally got married. Their main struggle at first was dealing with Lydia and Wickham. Not long after their trip to London, they were already having personal problems. Lydia was usually confined to a small house they managed to get in the English countryside, without a chance of enjoying fine society, seeking accomplishments, or even going to school. Most of the arguments she had with Wickham involved her boredom, and Wickham, who quickly learned she was not the accomplished young lady she claimed to be when they first met, was often irritated with this. However, after Mr. Darcy started sending them small amounts of money to add to their narrow income, their relationship improved, since Mr. Wickham was now able to take his young wife to London every weekend, where he bought her clothes, jewelry, and even a piano (which she learned to play with the help of a wealthy friend). They lived above their income, and although things weren't as exciting for her as she anticipated upon first running off with George Wickham, Lydia was happy and never once thought of leaving him.

Then came Jane and Charles Bingley's marriage. At first, Caroline was very upset about this, but after getting to know Jane better, her approval increased and she found a good friend in her sister-in-law. Although she remained a little conceited, Jane's influence made her a little more humble than she was in the past. To make things better, Jane found more success at the Pemberley Theater, and by 1905, she was the highest paid actress there. With this money as well as Bingley's own large income, they were able to help Mr. Darcy pay his debts, have Elizabeth attend a women's college, and arranged their marriage in London. Charlotte Lucas and her husband Mr. Collins, a wealthy landowner, helped them find an elegant mansion in New York, where the couple happily settled in with Georgiana, who was happy to have Elizabeth as a sister-in-law. Mary and Kitty became frequent visitors here, and they made a lot of improvements here. Mary became less socially awkward, and Kitty learned to quit the silly habits she obtained from Lydia's influence.

Overall, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were happy and lived for a long time, always surrounded by family, friends, and the occasional pets. Mr. Darcy's company was once again a success, and Elizabeth obtained her own success by writing romance novels, her most popular being one which was based on her relationship with Darcy under the name of _Pride and Prejudice in New York_. For years, young women were inspired by this lovely relationship and dreamed of finding their own equally romantic suitor.

The end


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